


Reborn

by Vipersweb (Rhianona)



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-06-27
Updated: 2008-06-27
Packaged: 2017-10-10 12:35:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/99781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhianona/pseuds/Vipersweb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Torchwood Three struggles to rebuild after Exit Wounds while Jake Simmonds attempts to rebuild his life after finding himself in the wrong world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reborn

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: [Insert witty comment here] Torchwood &amp; Doctor Who do not belong to me
> 
> Written for a jantolution challenge. Massively au from the end of season 4.

A few seconds too slow and Jake Simmonds is stuck in the wrong world. He's breathing hard even as the Doctor and some strangers from UNIT and the loud flirty Captain from this world's Torchwood exclaim around him. He bends at his waist, panting as he tries to assess the situation.

Fact one: he's stuck in a bloody parallel world.

Fact two: he doesn't really know anyone here. Somehow he doesn't think Rose will be hanging around for long.

Fact three: he has no money; he doubted the random bits of currency he had had on him when he came through would be accepted in this world.

Fact four: he has no job and therefore _getting_ more money might be problematic.

Fact five: he's stuck in a bloody parallel world.

All of this adds up to just being another day in his fucked up life. He sighs. Hopefully someone will have an answer for him.

***

_"We need to recruit Jack," Ianto tells him after the Dalek invasion is put off. They're lying in bed, holding each other after a round of life-affirming sex. Jack runs his fingers through Ianto's hair, petting him even as Ianto traces mindless patterns on his skin. He knows his lover is correct. The three of them have been trying their best to hold their own, but the Rift is a dangerous place and they need more than three to defend the Earth. Torchwood has taken some severe hits these last few years and for an organization that used to employ hundreds, the mere dozen Torchwood officers that remain can't scarcely protect Britain against any and all alien threats. They've been lucky that UNIT has been willing to step up their operations. Jack's just afraid that their luck will run out soon. _

*** 

"I can't get you back to your world," the Doctor tells him, eyes sad behind his glasses. Rose gasps and grabs his hand in hers.

"I'm so sorry Jake." He forces a smile to his face. It's not her fault that he's here - he decided to join the group that followed Rose to this world to try and save it. It's not the first time he volunteered to do so; it's just that last time he had a way to return home. But now he's stuck and suddenly his decision to volunteer doesn't make as much sense as it once did.

"It's okay," he says with a half shrug. He doesn't really know what else to say. He just hopes he can figure out what to do next.

***

_Jack goes to London to start recruiting. When he's recruited in the past, he had had Torchwood One's database of potential employees - he basically looked at the files of those rejected by One as not being suitable. The database was destroyed during Canary Wharf; Ianto tells him an archived copy exists with the Ministry of Defense and smoothes the channels with UNIT to also gain some names. He sets himself up in a hotel and starts contacting potential recruits. _

Gwen suggested they recruit more than a doctor and tech person. "If we have more people we can have more teams. You're always telling me to have an outside life Jack. With more people we don't all have to be on duty all the time." Jack wonders if Ianto had had a word with her because he had argued the same thing the other night. He nods in agreement because it makes sense. Three is never going to be as big as One was but having more than one person for each position would be helpful. Already, they've had to go to A&amp;E because Ianto had needed medical care that was beyond any of their basic medical training talents. With One gone, Jack doesn't need to worry about staying underneath their RADAR on the off chance they will try to shut him down. Three is the undisputed leader of Torchwood now and sets the operating policy.

Jack is looking to recruit some field agents, a general staff person to help Ianto around the Hub (though he's gotten a promise from Ianto that he will keep making the coffee), two doctors and some alien tech people. He's not happy to be away from Cardiff, especially since it's just Ianto and Gwen. But UNIT has promised to help out where they can and he has to trust that his people can handle whatever comes. It doesn't stop him from worrying - or missing them.

***

Dr. Martha Jones, a former companion of the Doctor who now works for UNIT stops by his hotel room and offers him a job with UNIT. He's been half expecting it since his situation became known: when all is said and done, he has experience few else have in this world. She gives him time to think about it, tells hims to take some time off and decide what he wants to do with his future. "We'll help you go into whatever you want," she assures him. He holds back the snort of disbelief. He has no trust for any government and UNIT is definitely part of the bureaucracy. Besides he suspects the Doctor had strongly suggested UNIT recruit him; he heard about the Doctor's connection with UNIT from one of the soldiers with whom he worked during the crisis.

Even deeper than that is a dislike for the formal military. Jake's hard-won experience comes through his time with the Pilgrams and later Torchwood. Neither of those required a strict military precision he just knows will be required of him if he joins UNIT. As much as it pains him though, he thinks he'll end up taking the offer. He has no idea what else he would do here so a few hours before the deadline comes, he's picking up the mobile given to him and is ready to accept the job offer.

Which is when someone knocks on his door.

***

_"Any troubles Ianto?" Jack asks, mobile to the ear as he flips through some files before him. _

"Nothing Gwen and I can't handle," his lover replies. "Martha called this afternoon. She said she saw you in London."

"Yeah. She dropped off the potential employee files from UNIT. She also told me that UNIT's offered employment to that stranded Torchwood employee from the parallel world."

"Would you like me to go and recruit him?" Ianto asks. This is one of the many reasons Jack loves him. Ianto can tell what Jack wants even before he articulates it. Jack smiles as he gives Ianto the information he needs to contact Jake Simmonds.

"So what are you wearing?" he asks when all of Torchwood's activities for the day have been reported. He bursts out laughing when Ianto informs him they are not having phone sex. "I miss you Yan. I hope this doesn't take took long. I don't like leaving you and Gwen by yourselves."

***

"Mr. Simmonds?" a suited young man asks as he opens the door. Jake nods and the man offers his hands. "Ianto Jones, Torchwood Three. I understand you're looking for employment."

Jake blinks in surprise. This isn't like anything he ever expected. He pulls the door wider to allow Ianto Jones within his room and nods to indicate he's listening to the offer.

"Captain Harkness was impressed with your performance during the recent Dalek incursion. He feels that you would be a valuable addition to Torchwood Three. I understand you worked for Torchwood in your world?"

"Yeah," he says warily. He's heard about this world's Torchwood from Rose; had even been part of the team that had volunteered to help defeat the cybermen that had slipped from his world into theirs. He hasn't been impressed. The only thing keeping him from rejecting the order outright is his experience with Harkness during the recent battle and that Harkness and his team had been requested by the Doctor by name. He figures the Doctor wouldn't have asked unless he felt they were capable.

Jones launches into a speech, well prepared and calm. He's stoic as he explains the position Jake would take - a combination field agent and tech. It's really tempting, especially when Jones admits that Three isn't exactly known for toeing the Torchwood mandate. "Jack likes to do things a bit differently," is all he says but Jake can read a wealth of meaning in that sentence. He's almost positive he'll take the position but he wants to think about. Jones gives him a number by which he can reach them and wishes him a good night. He's given Jake a lot to think about.

***

_Ianto recognizes the look in Jake Simmonds eyes as soon as the man opens the door. Jake has the same look Jack used to have before he ran off with the Doctor, the same look he had had in his own eyes after Canary Wharf. His job offer is sincere and he hopes Jake will take it. Torchwood Three has a way of soothing wayward souls. It doesn't make any sense whatsoever, given their job duties but somehow working for Three manages to bring some sort of peace and acceptance to its workers lives. Ianto sometimes thinks it might be the Rift energy. _

Jake asks intelligent questions and Ianto does his best to answer them. By the end, he understands why Jack wants him to work for Three and not for UNIT. Jake is a bit of a rebel, used to working with a small number of people in covert or guerrilla ops. And while Three isn't conducting guerrilla tactics on the streets of Cardiff, they are a small, close knit group used to doing the impossible with a small number of resources.

***

Torchwood Three is nothing like the corporate building Torchwood London had been. It barely resembles the station from his world. Where he's from, Three is merely a monitoring station; a few personnel to make sure the Rift didn't blow over and that was about it. In this world, the Rift appears much more active and while the team is smaller than he would have expected Gwen informed him they were recruiting. His new teammates welcome with a smile; he can't help but gape at the Hub and the pteradon and he wonders if the station in his world had also had such a pet.

Jake stays in a hotel close to the Hub. He knows that just as he is deciding whether to remain with Torchwood, they are determining whether he will fit in with them. Jones had assured him that if it didn't work out - for whatever reason - they would ensure he could either take a position with UNIT or they would set up a new life for him. He's hoping it works out. He thinks they are too. His teammates seem to be reeling and not just from the recent trouble with Daleks. Because the Captain is in London - recruiting, or so Gwen and Ianto claim - Jake finds himself essentially thrown into the deep end. He finds he likes it.

Gwen is friendly, all smiles and always asking how he's handling his new lot in life. She doesn't seem very dangerous and it's not until he watches her take down a T'lath with a coolness and accuracy he never would have expected that he realizes how good she actually is. He meets her husband his third day there when Rhys stops by at the end of the day to pick her up for dinner. Rhys invites him to the pub for the next rugby game and promises to introduce him to some of his mates. Jake finds himself agreeing to the offer. Cardiff is nothing like the London of his world and he's not consciously looking for landmarks, building or people he expects to find around the corner. It was one reason why working for Torchwood had been so appealing.

Jake doesn't know what to make of Jones. He's always dressed in a suit, though it doesn't appear to be due to any dress code that Jake can decipher since Gwen wears denims and a nice blouse most days. From what he remembers, the Captain seems to prefer a more old-fashioned style. He doesn't have many clothes, but UNIT outfitted him with the black fatigues of which he's fond. Jones also appear to live in the Hub - or at least spends the majority of his time there. Jake's not actually sure where Jones fits - he appears to be a combination butler cum archivist cum tech cum field agent. He and Gwen share second-in-command duties with Ianto tending to defer to Gwen in the field. It's not until the Captain returns that he starts to understand things more.

Harkness is just as large of life as he had been during the crisis with the Daleks. Everyone knows when he's back - the Hub appears almost lighter and Jones actually smiles. Harkness makes enough noise for ten people, startling Jake who has grown used to the quiet. While Gwen seems to hand the reins of command back to Harkness with an almost relief, Jake can't discern a difference in Jones' activities. Harkness greets him with a smile and a handshake and asks him how he's handling being here. Jake smiles wanly. Cardiff isn't his London and this Torchwood isn't his Torchwood or the Pilgrams but he's slowly finding his feet.

***

_Jack is still in London when Jake arrives at the Hub. Ianto and Gwen are glad to have a third person there. They are both running a bit ragged and Ianto is half thinking of just putting Andy on the payroll given all the help he's been giving them. He'll suggest it when Jack gets back. The Rift has decided to end it's quiet and while Gwen and Ianto have been managing, an extra person capable of fighting and working alien technology is more than welcome. Jake barely even blinks when he accepts the sidearm and ammunition Ianto hands him before they run to the SUV and head to the latest emergency. _

In the field, Jake listens to their instructions. When they debrief, he offers his observations and tells them of some of his experience in his own world. Ianto suggests to Gwen that she introduce Jake to Rhys - he heard the note of loneliness in Jake's voice when he speaks of home. Gwen agrees. She has long since stopped fighting to keep Rhys away from Torchwood. He's as entwined as any of them.

Ianto misses Jack fiercely. His lover phones him at least once a day to keep apprised of what is happening in his absence. He can tell the man misses being here as much as Ianto does. Fortunately, it sounds as if Jack will soon be returning. He's found a number of suitable candidates and Ianto can't wait till they arrive since he knows it will make their lives easier. Torchwood Three is evolving and he can't help but wonder what Owen and Tosh would think.

***

It's amazing what a difference having Harkness back in Cardiff makes. About a week after he returns - a week where the Rift decided to be quite active and he sees Jake in action - the new recruits begin to show up. Jones helps him find a flat and gives him a pretty hefty check so that he can start to furnish it. He also gives him a list of stores to help him accomplish it. Rhys follows through with his invitation and Jake is surprised to see Jones join them. It's Rhys who clues him into the mournful silences that permeate the Hub. Jones is getting the next round at the bar when Rhys asks him how he's getting on. Jake smiles and replies that he's starting to fit in and find things all right.

"Good to hear. It's been a tough few months, that's for sure," Rhys tells him. "What with Jack's brother coming back and blowing up half of Cardiff. They lost Owen and Tosh that night. And then the Dalek stuff." He shakes his head. "Crazy times, that's for sure."

And suddenly the half started sentences and the sad looks make sense. Jake can understand that. He's lost friends and colleagues to aliens and a corrupt government too. He watches as Jones maneuvers his way back towards them, carefully balancing the pints in his hands. For once he's not dressed in a suit, wearing denims and a jumper instead. He looks young and carefree and the contrast to how he normally looks is startling. Jake wonders what else this man has survived and why he's chosen to stay with Torchwood. He thinks one day he might ask. But not today.

***

_With the last recruit's acceptance, Jack throws his things into Ianto's car and departs London and heads back to Cardiff as quick as he can. He misses the Hub, misses Ianto. He wants to hold the younger man in his arms and breathe him in, imprint him to his senses. Torchwood is dangerous, life too short for him not to hate being separated from his young Welshman. He thinks he surprised both Rose and the Doctor when he once again turned down traveling with them. They have all changed far too much for him to feel comfortable traveling with them once again. Besides - he's happy where he is. _

He calls Ianto as he enters Cardiff proper to see whether he needs to return to the Hub for the night. He's very happy to hear that the Rift is quiet - for once - and that Ianto has made dinner reservations for them at their favorite restaurant. This is another aspect that he loves about Ianto: his ability to balance their work relationship with their love. Jack knows they will discuss the new recruits and how they will be trained and what has been happening but Ianto will also tell him about his sister and her husband and their children. He will relate the latest Gwen and Rhys news and what the chances of a pregnant Gwen any time soon are. He will tell Jack about the minutiae of his life and Jack will absorb it as he does everything about Ianto.

***

The new recruits show up and Jake is both surprised and amused to realize he's considered a veteran by then. He's given the two new tech recruits and told they're his to train. Jones works with the general support and the two doctors recruited while Harkness and Gwen have the new field agents - including Andy. Jones convinces Harkness to actually hire the P.C. who had been helping out while he was gone. The Hub is bustling in a way it hasn't before and he can feel the ghosts that had been lingering start to loosen their hold.

Jake finds himself learning a new rhythm. He's no longer working crazy hours as the recruits learn enough to establish three shifts capable of monitoring the Hub and answering any emergencies no matter what time it is. The newbies have an enthusiasm that permeates the workplace and laughter and jokes become commonplace. Jones has started to loosen up, smiling and wearing denims rather than suits to work every day. Harkness flirts with everyone - but reserves his kisses for Jones.

Working for Torchwood is crazy and but the adrenaline rush that had first led him to join the Pilgrams and then Torchwood is still there. He's grown used to skies clear of zepplins floating overhead, of seeing a familiar face in the crowd. When his probation is up and Harkness asks him if he wants to remain there is only one answer Jake can give him: of course. It might not be home, but it's the closest to it and he's happy.

***

_Ianto and Gwen were right: recruiting the extra personnel was more than worth the initial hassle of finding and then training them. For the first time in decades, Jack doesn't have to be on alert 24/7. He likes going home with Ianto, cooking their meal together and then cuddling on the couch while watching the telly. He enjoys joining Gwen and Rhys for dinner and a movie or going to Ianto's sister for Sunday lunch. A part of him is surprised at how easily the domesticity comes to him. Another, larger part of him, just wants to grab each moment he can with Ianto. Ianto is happy to let him. He often wonders how he got so lucky. Ianto tells him he must have been very good in a former life before kissing him and bringing him to bed. _

For the first time since he started working for Torchwood, Jack has a taste of normalcy. He has a team that works well together and embraces the idea of a future full of aliens and crazy technology. None suffer from the megalomania of Yvonne or One. They are prepared for the future and Jack couldn't be more proud. So when the Doctor stops by a year after the Dalek invasion and extends an invitation to Jack and Ianto for a quick trip in the TARDIS, he has no trouble accepting. He wants to show Ianto the stars, to share with the man he loves the wonders of the universe. He wants Rose and the Doctor to know the extraordinary man who finally tamed Captain Jack Harkness.

Alex told him that the 21st century is when everything changes. After everything that has happened, Jack is ready to believe him and with his new team and Ianto by his side, he's willing to take what comes. Torchwood Three is prepared and won't back down from any challenges. It's time to embrace the future.


End file.
